Blog Details

Movie Review - Roma (R)

Directed by: Alfonso Cuarón
Written by: Alfonso Cuarón

From director Alfonso Cuarón (Gravity, Children of Men) comes Roma, a story that follows a year in the life of a middle-class family’s maid (Cleo) in Mexico City during the early 1970s.Roma is an ode to Cuarón’s upbringing in Mexico City.

For a film that sounds essentially plotless,Cuarón is able to infuse substance into each scene. I’m not saying that nothing happens for 2 hours – Cuarón brings us into a world with political and economical tensions that bubble to the surface throughout the film. However, viewers see these events unfold through the unique perspective of the family’s maid.

Maybe that’s why it felt so real – Cuarón draws on real life experiences to build his passion project. And although Cleo is often treated with love from the family, she still feels like an outsider. This is demonstrated several times throughout Roma, showing the differing social classes.

The plot takes off when Cleo is impregnated by her boyfriend, a strange martial arts enthusiast with sinister plans. I don’t want to give too much of the plot away, but I will say the final act gave me two of the best heart shattering scenes I watched last year.

I was completely immersed throughout this film from start to finish. It just felt raw. Roma was a nice palette cleanser from the endless stream of Hollywood blockbusters and overuse of CGI. I could have gone without the nude martial arts scene (you’ve been warned), but Roma more than makes up for this one scene with a powerful story.

I can’t in good faith recommend this movie to everyone, but if you’re looking for something unique, give it a shot. 8/10.

Roma is available to stream on Netflix. Winner of 2 Golden Globes for Best Director and Best Foreign Language Film.